“It’s a big moment”: Prague approves plan paving way for massive number of new flats
After over a decade of preparation, the Prague Council last week approved a new zoning plan for the city. What will it do to fix Prague’s shortage of new apartments? And does it factor in all the amenities that development will demand? I spoke to Deputy Mayor for Spatial Development Petr Hlaváček (Mayors party), who oversaw the conclusion of the entire project.
Preparations for the new municipal zoning plan took many years. How much of an achievement do you think it is to have actually had it passed now?
“It was actually 13 and a half years. And there were three public hearings, huge ones – not only public hearings, but also explanations and tours around Prague with IPR [Institute of Planning and Development] people.
“So it was really, really a lot of work.
“Prague now has a very progressive, modern plan, which is completely digital – and it’s the start of other work.
“Actually that involves a discussion about cooperation with the Central Bohemian Region, because a lot of problems we have are connected to either transportation or schools, and that’s connected with the region.
“Also we have to put effort into creating more and more detailed documentation, which we are just now doing.
“So, it’s a big moment [laughs].”
It’s well-known that Prague has a shortage of new apartments. Will this new zoning plan fix that problem?
“Definitely. In terms of planning, in terms of master planning, it’s opening the gates for other work.
“Actually, all investors are waiting for a new building law.
“The city also has a lot of technical troubles, like sewage infrastructure, which must be solved.
“But in terms of the plan, it’s about 350,000 apartments, and something like 60,000 apartments on public land – city housing”
Over how many years will that many apartments be built?
“I think the plan is for at least 20 years.
“We also have to prepare some kind of changes, not of the main principles of the plan but more like new ideas for development.”
Critics say that the plan favours developers and doesn’t sufficiently guarantee schools, health care facilities and other amenities. What would you say to that?
“I don’t agree with this criticism. It was very clearly by Ondřej Boháč, the head of the IPR: Public amenities are one of the genetic codes of this metropolitan plan.
“There are calculations and we know exactly where schools and other stuff should be.
“Everything is checked in contracts with investors, which say exactly where parks are going to be built, where schools are going to be built.”
And what does this feel like for you? You were the head of this project. It was so many years of work and now you finally have it over the line.
“[Laughs] Actually, I am not the only one. We counted it and there were maybe 300 experts working on this plan.
“As I said, for me it’s a new beginning, because there’s a lot of work ahead of the city and from Thursday the plan became a kind of pattern, or base, for other work.
“And I’m quite happy. Not because of me, but because of the mostly young people who were working on this plan for so many years – some of them for all those 13 years.
“I think it’s quite good information that a city like Prague is able to make some kind of political decision which is not a compromise but an agreement.”
